The present invention relates to electrical and fiber optic connectors, and more particularly, to a device for connecting coaxial or fiber optic cables which will not allow entry of seawater during underwater connection and disconnection.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,767, there is disclosed an underwater coaxial connector in which the female part of the connector contains a socket element enclosed in a dielectric fluid filled chamber. The chamber has a special seal at one end through which the contact probe of the mating male part of the connector is inserted. The penetrable seal is specifically designed to accommodate repeated insertion and withdrawal of a male probe of round cross-section without loss of dielectric fluid or water leakage. The seal includes an elongated cylindrical sleeve made of an elastomeric material. The sleeve extends through an axial slit in a cylindrical resilient constrictor member that flattens out and closes the cylindrical sleeve.
While the underwater coaxial connector of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,767 represents a significant improvement over prior art underwater coaxial connectors, it does have certain aspects which have been improved upon in my subject invention described hereafter. More specifically, in my underwater coaxial connector of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,767, the sleeve and bladder are separate parts and this results in more sealing points than if the sleeve and bladder were made in one piece. Furthermore, in my aforementioned patented connector, the seal is closed by a single cylindrical constrictor compressed against the interior walls of the body portion of the female unit. In some cases, the constrictor has a tendency to take a "compression set" after the probe has been inserted for some time. When the probe is withdrawn, there may be a tendency for the constrictor to not completely return to its original condition fast enough and therefore the sleeve extending through its slit may not completely close. The sealing capability of the cylindrical constrictor in my aforementioned patented connector depended to some extent upon its contact with the interior wall of the hollow body of the female unit. Thus close tolerances between the body and the constrictor were required.
In addition, my coaxial connector described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,767 did not anticipate the inclusion of a fiber optics contact, and the present invention does.